2015 US Open at Chambers Bay Field Report

[mike_beene]

Could you identify the holes that are most severely uphill and downhill. I understand 9 from the left tee drops 150 feet.It looks like the approach to 7 is up a pretty big hill.Is 8 uphill or just a more level hole on the ridge? Are 1 and 18 severely up and down? Does the slope on the course feel like Kapalua from an elevation change standpoint? What and how far are a couple of the long walks between holes? Is the bunker sand native and is it heavy?

[mike_beene]

One more question: do you see any evidence that unlevel teeing areas will be used? The place looks beautiful. How far is it across the sound if you know? Thanks.

[Connor Dougherty]

Richard,
Thanks for the updates.


I have had multiple people mention to me that it looks terrific on TV. I would agree with them. Interesting that the course seems to be much softer than it was for the am, hopefully scores don't plummet too much 


Anyone who will be around tomorrow should PM me, I'll be making the day trip from Eugene.

[Richard Choi]

#7 is the most uphill hole that Chambers has. It goes up about 100 feet.

#12 and #4 is also steep uphill climb (over 50 feet).

#8, #10, #11, #13, and #18 are all slight uphill holes.

[Richard Choi]

Phil gets it!!!

http://www.golfchannel.com/media/phil-mickelson-press-conference-chambers-bay/

I almost cried at the 15 minute mark...

[Howard Riefs]

Could you identify the holes that are most severely uphill and downhill. I understand 9 from the left tee drops 150 feet.

Geoff S. writes about the 9th:


http://www.geoffshackelford.com/homepage/2015/6/16/uphill-vs-downhill-the-9th-at-chambers-bay.html

[Matthew Petersen]

Phil gets it!!!

http://www.golfchannel.com/media/phil-mickelson-press-conference-chambers-bay/

I almost cried at the 15 minute mark...

It's funny because it's such a simple concept and yet so rare for Tour guys to grasp and appreciate.

[Ben Attwood]

Please redirect me if it's in another thread but I'd really appreciate a GCA 'on the field' update.

Are the greens really bobbling? Is it playing as hard and fast as you hoped? Is the course holding up condition wise? Are they really at risk of 'losing it'? I'd it hour the usga were hoping it to be?

What is your opinion on how the pros are playing the course compared to how you know the course? Compared to the impression I got in Richards course tour the pros appear to be stopping the ball on greens quite easily and dare I say placement on the fairway not so important? From what I see it looks like it's playing like a traditional links.

These guys are good and are showing it.

[Richard Choi]

Ben, the course is receptive right now, at least to wedges. I suspect the course will firm up quite a bit over the weekend. Mike Davis was very worried about repeating what happened during US Am.

The greens are playing like a poa green with seedheads. I am really disappointed about inconsistencies in speed.

[Ben Attwood]

Thanks Richard.

What do you think of the pros play? Using the strategies you thought or seeing things you never thought they'd do to get it close?

It looks great and I love seeing them hit massively long putts and using the back boards. Great fun.

Any chance of some wind this weekend?

[Richard Choi]

Ben, I am not too surprised that the pros are sticking their wedges. There have been many examples of mid-iron plays where the players used side slopes properly to access pins. I really love seeing that.

What has surprised me is how accurate these guys are with their drivers. Not just with directions, but with their carries. They are carrying some hazards with only few yards to spare. That really amazes me, and is not something I factored into my previews.

[Brent Hutto]

Richard,


Yeah, I'm wondering that as well. Even on approach shots there are a lot of them that turn out very, very well but only because an iron shot landed 3 yards past a bunker on a uphill or downhill 160+ yard shot. But it's the driver ones that are most amazing.


I've got to think maybe some of those are just misjudgments that the player happened to get away with. Sure even the Dustin Johnsons of the world don't count on knowing for sure whether their 310-yard carry driver shot can clear a bunker lip at 306 yards.

Although to recycle a Tom Weiskopf comment from yesterday, if some of these fairway bunkers were stacked sod wall pot bunkers like on certain UK links courses then even the most aggressive Dustins and Bubbas might be giving them a wider berth. It does help to know that if your driver comes up 5 yards short and lands in a bunker you'll probably be able to reach the green from 170 yards anyway.

[JMEvensky]

What has surprised me is how accurate these guys are with their drivers. Not just with directions, but with their carries. They are carrying some hazards with only few yards to spare. That really amazes me, and is not something I factored into my previews.

Just from watching as I've never played CB,but there doesn't seem to be any downside to not carrying the fairway bunkers. They don't appear very deep and the bunker shots I've seen sit up OK.

[Richard Choi]

I would not say that.


If you do not carry the face at #7 (which is what I was referring to earlier), it will plug and you have almost no chance to reach the green with your second shot. Which is why I am shocked at the aggressive lines they are taking.

[Richard Choi]

I am amazed at what Jordan is doing right now. This course is playing very difficult with some very tough pin positions. Going 3 under so far in the back nine is very impressive.

[Ben Attwood]

Thank you Richard, it really is great to have someone who knows the course, commenting on the us open. 

Their driving is fantastic. Perhaps the wider fairways, yet still requiring accuracy has highlighted the really on form drivers.

I think the tournament looks amazing. An all round test that showcases the best shots and punishes mistakes, rather than just punish punish punish.

IMO this is the biggest contrast to other US opens, and tournament golf in general. Great shots are highlighted more. There seems to be a wider spread between those playing well and those playing badly. Maybe not wider in scores but in way the ball is controlled and the ground is used.

It looks super fun and super dangerous.

For example when Day misjudged his greenside bunker shot on the first it really showed the risk with missing on the wrong side. The ball trundled and trundled, ending up about 50 yards away. Yet what did a great player do? Holed the return pitch.

That is a course that identifies exciting courageous play.

[Richard Choi]

Will be out here all day working at 18th. I believe the course will be very firm today.

[Richard Choi]

Looks like they didn't water much last night. It is going to be a brutal day.

[Brent Carlson]

Looks like they didn't water much last night. It is going to be a brutal day.

Rich,


The early scoring is corroborating your report.  Keep us posted.

[Rich Goodale]

Good stuff, fellow Rich

Is it true, as said in today's Sun (British newspaper, who's motto is all the news that is fit to print and lots more!) that CB/USGA is allowing smoking weed on the course?  If so, maybe Tiger could have taken a toke or three and made the cut......

Rich

[Richard Choi]

Sorry, absolutely no smoking if any kind as it us so dry out here that any spark can start a fire.

17 is going to be awesome. Impossible pin, but only a sand wedge to it.

18 is a birdie hole today.

[Richard Choi]

I saw Rory play 18th close up and I was very confused.

He had a very easy bunker shot where all he had to do was to fly it 15 ft to the top of the ridge and let it feed down. He chose to fly it all the way to the pin and ended up in the fairway.

From there, all he had to do was to hit the ball to the backstop behind pin and let it feed down. He again went with the direct route and was fortunate to end up 15 feet away.

If he has been playing like this, he is throwing away three or four shots every round. He should be leading this tourney.

[Dean Stokes]

Richard, did you not qualify this year to play?😜perhaps you should mention what you saw to Rory as I am sure he would appreciate the assistance with his course management. 😀😀😀

[Richard Choi]

He is playing well enough to lead this tournament. If he studied this course a bit more he would be.

[Dean Stokes]

Richard, as I once remember Feherty writing in a golf magazine article that when a tour player looks through a yardage book for the first time, he will already understand that course better than the members!
He is now on his 5/6 or 7th round and I would be almost certain he knows how to play it better than anyone on this site.....and probably better than the architect!